Arum working on Chavez Jr-Froch fight for 1/24

Arum working on Chavez Jr-Froch fight for 1/24

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is confident that he can put together a mega fight between Julio Cesar Chavez Jr (48-1-1, 32 KO’s) and IBF/WBA super middleweight champion Carl Froch (33-2, 24 KOs) for January 24th for the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Arum has been in communication with Froch’s promoter Eddie Hearn and his father Barry in working out a deal to get Froch and Chavez Jr into the ring in what promises to be an interesting match-up between two big sluggers.

“I’m convinced we can get it done,” Arum said to ESPN’s Dan Rafael. “I made a proposal that I don’t want to get into but I think it would be acceptable.”

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The Glass Is Half Full: Best of The First Half of 2014

The Glass Is Half Full: Best of The First Half of 2014

As the final seconds of 2013 ticked away, our attention turned from whatever kind of celebratory beverage we held in our hand toward the topic of what might occur in the year to come. For fans of boxing, the future seemed uncertain; and those of a more pessimistic inclination probably felt they had good reason for viewing it as being rather bleak.

After all, at the start of 2014, the rift between promotional organizations and networks seemed as vast and impassible as it ever had at any point since it was first created. The number of appealing match-ups to look forward was rather limited, and the match-ups that had been bandied about (e.g. Floyd Mayweather-Amir Khan) did little to whet the boxing fan’s appetite. Given that context, it becomes easy to understand why some observers felt that the year would prove to be a disappointment.

Still, six months later, these fears have proved to be unfounded.

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Groves’ Style Like a Toddler With a Loaded Diaper

Groves' Style Like a Toddler With a Loaded Diaper

The title seems to be a foul, a low blow, hitting a man when he’s down. But, it’s not intended to be. No one is questioning Groves’ heart or effort. Honestly, though, all you parents and grandparents out there must certainly understand the reference. You’ve seen your bow legged little scamp ambling around with a full load. The little cuties exhibit awkward movements, which makes them look a little discombobulated.

It is just an observation about a fighter’s peculiar style, one that would seemly tire a fighter. It requires a fighter to be in an awkward position. It’s an unnatural posture, accentuated by the oversized trunks. Couple that with legs wide spread, too wide for graceful movement. Then throw in a humped back, with shoulders hunched forward and you’ve got Groves. If he was any thinner, you could put a woman’s wig on him, and you’d swear he was a dowager.

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Carl Froch believes the sport is flying after amazing Wembley night

Carl Froch believes the sport is flying after amazing Wembley night

Carl Froch says his fantastic KO win over George Groves at Wembley Stadium connected by EE has still not sunk in – and The Cobra is urging British boxing to capitalise on its greatest night.

Froch secured back to back wins over Groves and retained his WBA and IBF World Super Middleweight titles again with a stunning eighth round knockout, in front of 80,000 fans at the national stadium live on Sky Sports Box Office.

The Nottingham star penned his finally fight diary entry in the Evening Standard today reflecting on the biggest night of his career, and confirming that while he will bide his time over his next step, he has the itch to go over to Las Vegas and sample the bright lights.

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Froch v Groves II – Postscript

Froch v Groves II - Postscript

Someone once described boxing as show business with blood. Joe Frazier’s take on it was perhaps more to the point. “Boxing is the only sport where you can get your brain shook, your money took, and your name in the undertaker book.”

How to place boxing as a sport in the second decade of the 21st century? Whenever we take a measure of ourselves and society today the word civilized automatically springs to mind – and yet, interrupting this smug belief in our own sophistication, up pops a sport like boxing to remind us of the uncomfortable truth that barbarism still has its place.

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Kellerman: Andre Ward is still out there for Froch

Kellerman: Andre Ward is still out there for Froch

Max Kellerman of HBO offered up the idea that IBF/WBA super middleweight champion Carl Froch can always look in the direction of WBA super middleweight champion Andre Ward if he wants to get a good opponent in the near future. Ward still has a victory over Froch from 2011 that Froch has nothing to try and avenge. Ward has open to a fight against Froch for the past three years, and he’s still willing to fight him if he’s feeling up to it. Froch has been feasting lately on the unproven George Groves, and he’s not fought a quality fighter for some time since he was beaten by Ward in the Super Six tournament.

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Carl Froch: heading towards Vegas, a spectacular career finale and The Hall of Fame!

Carl Froch: heading towards Vegas, a spectacular career finale and The Hall of Fame!

Carl Froch, as the saying goes, has the world at his feet. The incredible 36-year-old scored his biggest and most satisfying win last night in crushing his most annoying and emotionally testing rival in George Groves (biggest in terms of record-breaking Box Office success and huge Wembley sell-out live gate) and now, as “The Cobra” casts an eye over how he will see out the remainder of his career as one of the greatest British fighters of all time, the options are plentiful for his next fight.

In silencing Groves – a talented and gifted fighter who pushed him hard over 15 rounds in two exciting battles – Froch showed once again how good he is. Capable of overcoming just about any style (with the exception of one boxer, who I will come back to further in this article), the Nottingham man has taken on all comers: see his fantastic wins over guys named Kessler, Bute, Dirrell, Abraham, Johnson, Pascal etc, etc. And now, already worthy, without any doubt, of being inducted into The Hall of Fame when the required amount of time has gone by, Froch can pick and choose how he walks away, the finishing touches put on his fine career.

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Roy Jones Jr: Golovkin would make Froch pay for his mistakes

Roy Jones Jr: Golovkin would make Froch pay for his mistakes

HBO commentator Roy Jones Jr. says that he recommends that IBF/WBA super middleweight champion Carl Froch (33-2, 24 KO’s) go in the direction of former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. for his next fight rather than Gennady Golovkin, as Jones Jr. feels that with the mistakes that he saw in Froch’s game last night in his win over George Groves (19-2, 15 KO’s), that he would be taken advantage of by Golovkin if he were to fight him next.

Froch has an optional title defense available for his next fight, and his promoter Eddie Hearn reportedly has been in talks with Top Rank for a fight between Froch and Chavez Jr. for the fall. It would seem that Hearn likes the idea of Froch fighting someone as popular as Chavez Jr. There’s been no talk of Hearn reaching out to K2 Promotions for a fight against Golovkin though.

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Froch – Groves: Unfinished Business – A Breakdown

Froch - Groves: Unfinished Business - A Breakdown

The Grudge, the Golden boys and the Little Stars

Over 75 years since the last time 80 000 people gathered to watch a boxing fight in the UK, the Carl Froch vs George Groves rematch is undeniably a special event.

The headline event has every ingredient required to make it worthy of such an epic sporting occasion. However, just to ensure the night cannot fail, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom promotions has put on a fantastic undercard too.

In Carl Froch vs George Groves we have old vs young, the proven veteran against the up-and-coming contender and north vs south, a mix which has captured the imagination of the nation and the entire boxing world.

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